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Install a Grab Bar
Any bathroom can benefit from the added safety of grab bars. They are very effective in helping prevent of slips and falls in the bath. Typically, they are the first item most people turn to when looking to improve general stability both around tubs and showers, and near the toilet.
Tools & Materials
Use this checklist when you go to the store and purchase your items.
Know Before You Shop for Grab Bars
- Tile might seem fragile, but it’ll seem like an impenetrable barrier to standard twist drill bits, which will crack your tile. Instead, use a 1/4-in. glass / tile drill bit for mounting bars over studs or a 1/2-in. glass / tile drill bit for installations using special wall anchors. (Odds are you’ll need both.)
- Avoid mounting grab bars on acrylic tub and shower surrounds that stand out from the drywall underneath. These walls bend and flex.
- By climbing into and out of your tub or shower—minus the water—you’ll soon learn where bars should be placed. Mount them where they work best for everyone using that bathroom.
- If someone in the family lacks grip strength, choose smaller-diameter bars. Then decide whether the bar finish can be a glossy piece of bathroom bling or if it needs to be textured for better grip by wet hands.
- Some grab bars are specifically made to mount vertically, horizontally, or in either position. (There’s no “right” mounting, so choose what works for you.) Check packages in the store to be sure the model you want works in the position you want.
- A grab bar is measured from the center of one flange (the cover on the left or right side of the grab bar which conceals the screws) to the center of the other flange. The flange covers typically add 3 in. to the overall length of the grab bar, but this varies by manufacturer and size. Therefore, in a typical case a 16 in. grab bar is actually 19 in. in overall length.
Where to Install Grab Bars
Mount grab bars into a stud that sits behind the wall. Alternatively, use an anchoring device when a stud cannot be located. Be sure there is adequate room within the hollow area behind the wall so an anchoring device can function adequately. Grab Bars can be placed vertically, horizontally or diagonally depending upon a variety of factors.
At the entry to the shower or tub.
- To help facilitate entry and exit, install a grab bar vertically in front of the shower or tub. A smaller grab bar (12”, 16”, or 18”) works well for this purpose, although longer ones can accommodate users of various heights. A grab bar installed properly here prevents the tendency to reach for towel bars or cling to sliding glass doors or other unstable fixtures.
- The vertically oriented grab bar allows shorter and taller people to grip at a comfortable height.
In the shower or tub.
- Typically, mount a grab bar horizontally inside the tub or shower to provide added stability.
- Generally a 16” grab bar or a grab bar that is a multiple of 16 (16”, 32”, or 48”) works best. In most cases studs that sit behind a wall are located 16” apart on center. Always attach grab bars to studs (even if it requires deviating from a pure horizontal installation) or use secure mounting anchors the manufacturer recommends.
- A longer grab bar provides individuals with support both closer to and away from the water
- A diagonal grab bar installed in the shower can provide stability when lowering to sit on a shower seat.
Near the toilet.
- For those who demonstrate some difficulty in either sitting or standing, installing a grab bar near the toilet can provide great assistance. When used in conjunction with a chair height toilet or raised toilet seat, this can even further improve comfort and ease of use.
- Generally, a grab bar is installed either horizontally or diagonally near the toilet to facilitate the hand sliding up and down as one lowers onto and off of the seat.
- A diagonal grab bar is more in tune with natural movement of the hand and wrist and puts less strain on the wrist.
- Diagonally oriented grab bars offered the ability to grip at varied heights, making them comfortable for both shorter and taller people.
- When installed diagonally, a grab bar may not reach between studs. If this is the case, it can be mounted with secure mounting anchors used at one or both ends of the grab bar.
Install Grab Bars in Your Bathtub Over Studs
Plan to install grab bars where you enter the bathtub and the shower. You may also want at least one grab bar within a tub enclosure to help you stand and sit. Mark mounting locations on the wall with strips of 1-1/2 in. painter’s tape at the height you need and roughly as long as the grab bar you want. (Grab bars typically measure 16 in. to 48 in. long.) For most persons, bars at the drain end of the tub and along the tub length should be mounted 33 in. to 36 in. above the floor. For anyone who has trouble standing up or lowering themselves into the tub, add a second grab bar along the tub length at 9 in. to 11 in. above the tub rim, as shown in the diagram.
Most building codes require a grab bar to support at least 250 pounds. To get that kind of sturdiness, screw the mounting brackets into the wood studs holding up the wall. (You can also use special high-strength wall anchors, but more about that later.) Because not all grab bars come in 16 in. increments to match the spacing of wall studs in most homes, you’ll probably need a combination of both mounting methods for a sturdy installation.
Step 1
Using a stud finder, locate the positions of wall studs and mark them on the painter’s tape strips
Remember those ads for “quarter-pound” hamburgers with an asterisk and “before cooking” in small type? It’s like that with 2 x 4s, which actually measure only 1-1/2 in. wide. Double-check your marks to pinpoint the stud centers.
Step 2
Using the grab bar mounting flange as your guide, mark the pilot hole locations oriented over your stud marks. For mounting on drywall, you’ll need to drill pilot holes using a bit that’s slightly smaller than the shaft of the mounting screw (the core that the threads wrap around). Check the directions for a manufacturer’s recommendation. Drill pilot holes through the drywall and check to make certain you drilled into a stud on the other side.
If you're drilling through ceramic tiles, you need glass / tile drill bits. For driving screws into a stud, use a 1/4 in. bit to drill only through the tile and part of the drywall but not into the stud. For installing the Snaptoggle anchors used here, drill a 1/2 in. hole through both the tile and drywall.
Using a glass/tile bit requires two extra precautions. First, slow the drill speed down to about 350 rpm. Higher speeds only add bit-dulling heat. Second, have a helper with a spray bottle of water mist the tip of the bit regularly as you drill to help keep it cool.
Step 3
Drive the mounting screws that came with your grab bar or 2-1/2 in. panhead screws. Pay attention to the resistance you feel as you drive the screws. If you feel the resistance slack off before you’re finished, that could be a sign the screw tip broke through the side of the stud, reducing its strength
Long screws can tax your drill or driver’s strength. To avoid stripping out the screw head, apply candle wax (beeswax works well) along the threads before driving each screw. You’ll reduce the friction without reducing their grip.
Step 4
Slide the grab bar covers over the mounting flanges and apply moderate pressure to the bar to confirm its strength.
Mount a Grab Bar With Wall Anchors
The secret to a wall anchor strong enough to mount a grab bar is its ability to distribute a load along the back surface of the drywall. A heavy-duty toggle-bolt anchor will spread force applied to the grab bar along four toggles pressed against the back of the drywall (or plaster wall).
The grab bar directions call for three screws per flange, which works fine for mounting on studs. But drilling that many 1/2-in. holes in plain drywall can weaken the wall enough for the mounting area to break off. Instead, use two heavy-duty anchors placed in the upper half of the flange with the metal channels positioned vertically. You can use three anchors per flange in tile over drywall and in plaster walls—particularly plaster over lath—because both are stronger than plain drywall.
Step 1
Mark the flange hole openings on painter’s tape and find the center of each hole as you would for driving screws into a stud. Tape also helps keep the bit from wandering and tile from cracking as you start the hole. For the Snaptoggle anchors used here, we drilled 1/2-in. holes and carefully removed any loose pieces of drywall paper.
Step 2
Hold the metal channel against the anchor’s plastic straps, slide it through the hole, and make certain the metal channel is vertical. Hold the ends of the plastic straps and pull them toward you until the channel seats against the back side of the wall. Slide the plastic cap along the mounting with your other hand until the cap is flush against the wall.
If the cap isn’t tight against the wall, the slack between the cap and the metal channel can allow the anchor to spin around as you tighten the mounting screw. For a tight connection, press against the cap with the edge of a screwdriver while you tug on the plastic straps to remove any slack.
Step 3
Using the screws supplied with the anchor, fasten the mounting flanges to the wall on both ends. Apply equal pressure to the screws holding each flange to prevent the bar from rocking and damaging the drywall. Tighten the screws until they’re finger-tight against the mounting flange, then add a half-turn.
Step 4
Slide the covers over the flanges and test the strength of the bar.
Project Information
- Skill Level: Advanced
*Time and Cost are estimated.